Business Insurance First to Debut New Interactive Edition in Cutting-edge Web Reader

Denver, CO and Chicago, IL - 6/17/2013 - Business Insurance, the leading source of news and information for risk and benefits managers, has become the first publisher in North America to create HTML5-based web apps of its publication with App Studio™. The Chicago-based B2B publication launched new iOS and Android apps earlier in the year and has now launched a Web app that together bring the magazine to subscribers across multiple devices.

Business Insurance subscribers can now access the in-depth news and analysis from the print edition in the format most convenient to them. With the new Web app, which is a first of its kind, readers can experience the digital edition through a browser on their computer without needing to install additional software or go through an app store. The iOS and Android app versions are also available for people using tablets and smartphones.

Paul Winston, Associate Publisher and Online General Manager for Business Insurance, said, “Our readers around the world can now experience the interactive digital edition of Business Insurance anywhere, on virtually any device, including their laptops. With these apps we can bring insights to life like never before through our magazine content enhanced with interactive charts, graphics, video, audio, and photo slideshows. It’s a brand new way to see Business Insurance. We not only are able to better serve our readership with the new apps, but also will provide our advertisers with new opportunities to engage with our readers within the apps.”

App Studio: Create Once, Publish Many
Before launching the new iOS, Android, and Web apps, Business Insurance created a digital replica app for the iTunes Store, which was a PDF with page flip functionality. Winston said, “It looked gorgeous and faithfully reproduced the printed page, but it was pretty flat. It wasn’t exciting.”

The editorial team at Business Insurance chose App Studio with QuarkXPress® to create their new apps. App Studio is the publishing solution that uses HTML5 to transform print content into digital experiences. It supports content created with both QuarkXPress and InDesign.

App Studio allows the team to use familiar tools to design content for an issue once that can then be published across platforms – print, digital devices, and the Web. Web apps are a brand new app platform supported by App Studio that will soon be launching for selected App Studio plans.

“Our editors are doing some of their best work for the print issue and we really focused on extending the reach of that content. The Web app in particular lets us push issues out in a way that reaches our audience without requiring readers to have a particular tablet or smartphone,” explained Winston.

Looking ahead, the Business Insurance team is planning to expand their digital coverage. For a print publication it can be difficult to add pages to an issue because every additional page increases costs. For the digital edition, Business Insurance plans to add special content – four extra pages of international coverage, for a start. The team also has the creative flexibility to add new interactivity to the digital edition to drive reader engagement.

Subscribers to Business Insurance with an all-access subscription receive the print and digital benefits in a bundled package. Also now available is the NEW digital-only subscription, which includes all subscriber benefits except for the physical print edition. To experience the new interactive digital edition, 25 percent off white papers and directories, unlimited online access and more, readers can subscribe at BusinessInsurance.com/digital for only $99 – the new product launch price.

About Business Insurance®
In print, online, digital and in custom e-mail alert products, including our Global Focus daily newsletter, Business Insurance® reports on risk management, risk financing, employee benefits management and workers compensation. Business Insurance® is read by corporate risk and benefit executives as well as financial and administrative executives. Its audience also includes insurance brokers, agents, consultants, insurers, reinsurers, and others concerned with corporate insurance, risk management, alternative risk financing, employee benefits, workers compensation and reinsurance. Business Insurance® also offers custom marketing services, including lead generation, research and events. Print circulation is 46,809 and registered online users are nearly 154,000. Business Insurance is published by Crain Communications Inc.

About App Studio
App Studio (www.AppStudio.net) is the next generation digital publishing solution that uses HTML5 to push the bounds of user experience without the high cost and effort associated with custom app development. App Studio is the only digital publishing solution that allows users to create branded content apps using QuarkXPress, InDesign, HTML5, and XML. Through a managed cloud environment, designers, authors, and extended teams are able to collaborate to create rich, interactive content that can be delivered across multiple platforms and devices.